As the Roswell Hornets boys’ lacrosse team makes one last push towards the state playoffs, head coach Alan Gordon is leaning heavily on a senior class that he calls the backbone of his program.

At the head of that senior class is defensemen Nic Haydel, a team captain who does his part to lead the Hornets both on and off the field.

“Nic is one of those kids that is a true gentleman and leads our team by example,” said Gordon, who is in his first year as the Hornets head coach. “He is a great student that is in the top 10 percent of our senior class, and on the field he is a tremendous defender.

“That defense has been the architect of what we have done this season and Nic has been like a vacuum out there forcing turnovers and sucking up ground balls.”

As of last week Haydel ranked among Roswell’s leaders in ground balls with 37 and, as a unit, the Hornet defense was yielding just over six goals per game.

“Nic has a great lacrosse IQ and tremendous field awareness that helps him find his teammates and create a successful clear,” said the Roswell coach of Haydel.

“In a tight game, as a coach, it’s so nice to have a reliable player like that to move the ball from zone to zone.”

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